Talk To Your Kids About Online Communication

Myspace, Face book, Online Gaming even texting maybe: A Must Read for All EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ ALL OF THIS and HAVE CHILDREN READ IT TOO! After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message: ByAngel213: Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird! GoTo123: LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you? Don't you live in a safe neighborhood? ByAngel213: Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out. GoTo123: Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you? ByAngel213: Of course not. I'm not stupid you know. GoTo123: Did you have a softball game after school today? ByAngel213: Yes, and we won!! GoTo123: That's great! Who did you play? ByAngel213: We played the Hornets.. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL GoTo123: What is your team called? ByAngel213: We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really cool. GoTo1 23: Did you pitch? ByAngel213: No, I play second base.. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye! GoTo123: Catch you later.. Bye Meanwhile, GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far. Her name: Shannon Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985 Age: 13 State where she lived: North Carolina Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School . She had told him all this in the conversations they had on- line. He had enough information to find her now. Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective. By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her. Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely. He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt. After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her. Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car. Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move. Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room. "Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa. "Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you." Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today! "Do you know who I am, Shannon ?" the man asked. "No," Shannon answered. "I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123." Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14. And he lives in Michigan !" The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon, there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. You named the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze." Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan ?" He laughed... "No, I live in Raleigh. It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?" She nodded. "I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it.. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again. Tell others about this so they will be safe too?" "It's a promise!" That night Shannon and her Dad and Mom thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragic situation.

PARENTS HOW TO GUIDE: Online Videogame Play!

Well its that time of year.....

At home, all the kiddies are putting together wish lists & trying to be good. At the North Pole, Santa is starting to put his nice/naughty list together. Being a big kid(a gamer), I start to get a ton of questions from friends about picking a great game and/or how online gaming works. Should they allow them to play online? How do you set it up? What should they watch for? So I figured it was time for me to put together my "how to" guide for parents getting their kids ready for this experience.

PICK THE RIGHT GAME:

Ok, everybody has different tastes so this one depends on the kid. So let them make their list if they already have a system and then look at the games they choose. If you are buying a new system w/ games and don't want to give the surprise away, then my best offer is to ask me & I will discuss the hot games that are out to see what fits them. Start by learning the types of games. Here are the basic categories: RPG, FPS, Arcade, Fighter, and my personal favorite Sports. Ok, I see the glazed over look....RPG is roll playing type games where there is a storyline and a world to explore, think of Dungeons & Dragons from when we were kids. Most of these games are offline games where they play by themselves, but there are a few that have online capabilities. FPS means first person shooter, guns, war games. FPS is the most popular game type for online play in my opinion. Arcade think of retro type games (centipede, pac-man, pinball), they are normally downloaded directly to the game system (some can be bought on disc). Fighter, is exactly what it sounds like....normally some sort of arena, boxing, wrestling, etc. where they pick a character and beat the snot out of each other. Sports, a ton of online and offline options in just about any sport you can think of. Each game has a rating that should give you a rough idea on age appropriateness.

The following list contains the definition of each ESRB rating:

• EARLY CHILDHOOD
  Content may be suitable for persons ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.
• EVERYONE
  Content may be suitable for persons ages 6 and older. May contain minimal violence and some comic mischief or crude language.
• TEEN
  Content may be suitable for persons ages 13 and older. May contain violent content, mild or strong language, and/or suggestive themes.
• MATURE
  Content may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. May contain mature sexual themes or more intense violence or language.
• RATING PENDING
  Product has been submitted to the ESRB and is awaiting final rating.
• ADULTS ONLY
  Content suitable only for adults. May include graphic depictions of sex and/or violence. Not intended for persons under the age of 18.

Now that you know what type of game and what it is rated you should look for feedback on the game. With the Internet you can go directly to www.xbox.com and it will give you all information you want on game description, rating, and online/offline game play.....but I suggest looking at reviews. With youtube you can normally find a few game play videos to get a feel for it. I am always a source for a review, so just ask anytime. Even if I don't play the game I have over 200 gamerdads that will. I can get you the real details if the game is worth it or not.

GETTING STARTED ONLINE:

It really comes down to WHO they are playing with. The online set up is done in lobbies, where you join groups of people, team up, and play. Let's be honest unless its a friend from school you have no idea who the other people are in the online world, as parents we need to be careful. Make sure they do not to give out their real names or where they live, that is why they use gamertags (the fake online name the use, mine is Z HITMAN 32828). Hopefully they have a group of friends and family that they can set up to play with, but they will still have random people that are in the online lobbies. Show them how to send friend requests and make sure you check the list from time to time. I personally would not allow my girls to have anybody on a friend list that I do not know. Most importantly....listen to them play. How the people talk during a game can be disturbing at times. Especially in fighting/war related games.....there seems to be a need for some kids (and some adults) to use hateful language. So by taking the time to listen to your child you can help to mute/block/report. It is set up in most of the games I have played online where you can mute (silence) another player or group of players. But just turning off the volume is not the only action that should be taken. At the end of the game you can Block that other players name (gamertag) so that they will never show up in random online matches again. The system will "avoid" that player anytime you log on.....a very nice feature. Also, you can report a player. If you hear something you feel in inappropriate, you can click on their name and file a report. It take 2 seconds, to block and report. If players like that get reported enough, they get their accounts taken away. So show your kids how to mute the conversation, then block the player from showing up again, and report them if need be. They should feel comfortable with those steps before you let them play online by themselves. .

HOW TO PLAY:

It should also be said that the way you and your child communicate online is important. When talking in a game, enjoy the game without using any of the language or hateful comments. They will find at some point that people will cheat (glitching) in games. This is where somebody finds a "loophole" in a games program that will allow them an advantage to win. For example, on a war game where they find an area they can climb under the map so nobody can see them and still shoot the other players. It happens and it's frustrating. You can back out of the game/block/report. Hopefully, if your child finds out how to use these, they don't. I know they show a youtube video for the Madden football game where you can run a player up and block a kickoff. I know how to do it, but it's not right and I don't want my kids to think its ok to cheat. I think the key to making online play successful it to teach my kids to play fair and with sportsmanship. If they are getting beat, don't quit the match...finish it and say good game. If you are winning, don't rub it in their face or run up the score. Play to win but not at all costs, they could ruin a friendship by doing that.

FINALLY:
Online game play adds a whole new level of options in many games and should be enjoyed. The key is knowing who their friends are, listening to how they communicate, listen to how they are being communicated with, and playing with a "casual competitive" attitude. Have fun, enjoy, explore...

Even though I love playing video games....limit the amount of time they play online. Kids today are losing their interactions with other kids due to all this technology and are not "playing" for real anymore. They still need the exercise and need to learn to develop relationships with others.

Cleveland Browns-Should Be Cleveland Frowns!

Well this automatically has to fall under JOKE. I have been suffering thru another year of football in Ohio on all fronts....but....Cleveland has to be the absolute worst High School team I have ever seen on the field. Even the winless Detroit Lions made an effort last year. I want to know where I can go make millions of dollars to "mail in" my effort week in and week out. By the way....way to totally screw up any trade value for Quinn or Anderson with the disaster you have caused. You may as well throw Radliff in and screw em all up. Here is a tip...if you have a QB that throws a 0% completion rating in a full half of football....help him move out of town immediately. Also, when you are hiring a team to coach and develop your players, call references...did anybody notice how fast the Jets ran his butt out of town.

I think changes need to be made all the way from the top. Obviously the ownership is clueless or careless (maybe both). The rumor over the last week has been bringing in consultants to help....Bernie Kosar being one of them. I want 1 person who has seen Bernie on TV in the last 3 years that did not think this guy was drunk or on something (maybe both). He has 0 knowledge of what that type of position (responsibility) is ...give me a break. They need to change the whole team from top to bottom and give Cleveland Fan's what they deserve, a local team who has a DESIRE & an ATTITUDE of WINNING. We do!

Ok so I feel a bit better now...here a quick funny for you listening to my rant:

The OHIO , State Police are cracking down on speeders heading into
Cleveland . For the first offense, they give you two Cleveland Brown's
tickets. If you get stopped a second time, they make you use them.

Q.What do you call 47 millionaires around a TV watching the Super
Bowl?
A. The Cleveland Browns

Q. What do the Cleveland Browns and Billy Graham have in common?
A. They both can make 70,000 people stand up and yell, 'Jesus Christ'.

Q. How do you keep the Cleveland Browns out of your yard?
A.Put up a goal post.

Q.Where do you go in Cleveland in case of a tornado?
A. To the Cleveland Browns Stadium- they never have a touchdown there!

Q. What do you call a Cleveland Brown with a Super Bowl ring?
A. A thief.

Q.What's the difference between the Cleveland Browns and a dollar bill?
A. You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.

Q.How many Cleveland Browns does it take to win a Super Bowl?
A. Nobody knows and we may never find out.

Q.What do the Cleveland Browns and a opossum have in common?
A. Both play dead at home and get killed on the road.

Top 10 Horror Movies

Due to Halloween being around the corner, it is only appropriate that I add my top 10 Horror Movies list to the site. Don't forget to look under the bed.....booooo haaaaa haaaaa!

1. HALLOWEEN-WILL ALWAYS BE THE KING!




2. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET




3. THE SHINING



4. THE EXORCIST




5. SALEM'S LOT



6. THE THING




7. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE




8. AMITYVILLE HORROR



9. THE OMEN





10. PET CEMETARY (any parent watching Gage run off and get hit by the truck has to have this on their list.)




I am a big horror fan, but Jason although a horror movie icon, does not make the cut (pun intended)!

Blood Tests

So I have to tell you about my experience with the health screening I had today. All part of my wife's insurance, to have both of us come in for basic blood tests. They set up the tests in their lunch room...that's sanitary...and speaking of food...

Why do you have to starve yourself to have blood taken, it makes you light headed. Do they like watching people pass out? Ok yes they probably do like watching people pass out...My guess is they have side bets on how many in a given day go down. Ha ha ha there goes Mrs. Jones that is 28 for the afternoon.

It may have been better if I was unconscious. Everybody knows I hate needles. I use to waive off Novocaine at the dentist office when I had to get a cavity fixed, drilled out the tooth without it. Anyway.....


Here is a picture of the nurse taking my blood:

Hey Hey Hey...and no I was not laughing. She said....I swear she said.... " I hate these needles, I can never hit the vein with these needles." I said...why don't you try another needle then? She just smirked, must not have found my sarcasm entertaining.

So...then she strapped me down in the chair and said "relax". Rolled up the sleeve, tied off my upper arm with a rubber hose, and went to work. Here is a picture of her first attempt:


WHOOPS!

So she decided to take another "shot" at it....ha ha ha...oh you know I am laughing right now. The second attempt was like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct (when she goes psycho with a icepick.) Yea I would love a......never mind...no drink for me thanks.

After mutilating my arm, she headed for my other arm. She said "I can't believe I can't hit these veins...you have such good veins," & "Boy there is a lot of blood here," & "You may notice some swelling. What do you think...any swelling?



Well, I am sure that will go down. Anyhow, when Rerun finally heard the sound of a milkshake straw hitting bottom...she knew to stop..nice of her. I thanked her for letting me be her dart board for the afternoon and gave her a punch in the neck. Come on you knew that was coming right!

You Will Laugh Your Butt Off...Literally!

Ok this is a car commercial with a major issue. See if you can figure out what happened! Listen to the "sound" of the car as it approaches the trees....tell me that is not the funniest thing you have heard in your life!

Fish Wrangler! The Greatest Facebook Ap Period!

Maybe I should start at the beginning. I got sucked into this cartoon fishing world because I was on Facebook, I like to fish, and I am a gamer. I should also say that you may see a few pictures from the game that I am using to give you a visual idea how fun this game is & to encourage anybody to try it....just once....I know you will be back. This is only a snapshot of the game from my play, to be honest it is always changing/growing....with hundreds of thousands who play it every day. There may be some minor spoilers (for those of you just starting) because not all of the fish, poles, locations, etc are available till you earn money and experience. Blah, Blah, Blah, enough disclaimer.

You start with picking a generic pole, I chose the oak branch cause as a boy I know I fished with something very similar to this minus the huge drumstick for bait. You get a generic "chum=bait" to use that looks like the old fashion night crawler. Ok...sounds about right....just a normal fishing game....catch and release. I figured like every other Facebook ap I would be bored by the repetitive play...but I was very pleasantly surprised.

When you get started you can cast one time every 15 minutes and you can also do a daily tournament where you are up against people with a similar skill level. So there really is not much time you will spend on this game....ok well....let's just say I may hover my finger over my computer mouse counting down the remaining 10 seconds like new years is about to hit. *Hand Jitters & Eye Twitches*

So you click the "FISH NOW" button and real in a fish. Half of your casts the bait gets stolen by the monster fish drawn to it. Here is an example of the monster fish I am talking about.

Ok this "mini" fish will drive you totally insane, but you will quickly start to see that these little buggers are not the only thing you can snag with your new pole. As you get more skilled you can catch some very cool looking fish like "grim" and "putrid".

There is also "skips" and "night fishing". You can get a few skips each day where you skip over the 15 minute timer and cast a few in a row....cause you need to eat, talk to your family, maybe work a few hours. Night fishing is a 5 hour span where you park your boat and the game fishes for you and a crew of your buddies...this was put in the game to force people to actually sleep because after 2 days of playing your eyes are red and you can't feel your legs at all.

As the weeks and months go bye bye...you will slowly get information on new poles, new islands to fish from, and a variety of baits to use to catch a world of crazy fish. As you gain more experience on the fishing poles you can upgrade them with all sorts of augments. Here are just a few: My chrome plated "rifle pole" with laser scope, & rib launcher attachments and my newest pole the "evil obliterator" with barbed wire line.

Now you have to get around to all of these islands like Waterport and Blue Crescent, so you need a boat. You start out will a little dingy....ha really little dingy...ok childish moment for myself...talk amongst yourselves while I chuckle. Eventually I bought the Toxic Cruiser....cause it looks nasty and I had to have it to get to those far away sweet spots!

I mentioned other islands to fish from, well there are some I have yet to find, but think of fishing in "extreme conditions". Magma Reef will only let you fish a few times a day unless you carry a fire extinguisher with you. There are places like San Culpra where you need a spear gun and scuba gear to fish underwater. The new island I just started to fish at is San Digloo, a frozen wasteland where you have to drill down thru the ice to fish.

Here is a sample of my favorite fish so far!

This one was a new catch today and will get special mention cause it made me laugh out loud. The "Nebula Fish" and here is its description from the game: The flatulent Nebula Fish dashes between lava flow and releases a toxic trail of gassy particles. The fish is like a cannon ready to explode, so wranglers must be equipped with fast reflexes and a gas mask.

Sorry another childish moment but if I were a fish....well anyhow. I also was recently attacked "out of the water" by a flying penguin who wanted to steal my gold and fish.

The game has developed a whole set of quests where you go to different islands with different poles and have assigned fish to catch. You can then turn in your catches to "The Sand Bar & Grill" to get additional attachments to your fishing poles making them even crazier than before. If that is not enough, some of the other crazy people who play this game have come up with games "within" the game. I already played and finish in 3rd place in the "Fish Wrangler Amazing Race". We basically were assigned teams of 3 who competed like the reality tv show...except there were no physical challenges (other than trying to make popcorn in between casts).

I am now in "Fish Wrangler Survivor" on team RAZOR and competing against 19 others for world domination...ok well maybe just a bit of RLC. RLC is red love chum...a special bait that you can use that can not be stolen by the fish unless you make a catch...so it is an excellent bait to use in tournaments.

This is by far the best ap on Facebook. They have continued to make more challenges, new islands, and created new fish. You can just cast a few times a day, just do tournaments, or jump all in to the quests and side games that are available. My kids even like to "FISH NOW" because of the cartoon fish. Pretty cool for a free ap. Thanks to Joe the developer and his team...this is a great game!


Come join my crew........we have rum!

Ethical Question! Think Hard Before You Answer!

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.

2. An old friend who once saved your life.

3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?






Think before you continue reading.








This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.


YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS...


The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered: 'I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.'

Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations.

Never forget to 'Think Outside of the Box.'


HOWEVER....., The correct answer is to run the old lady over and put her out of her misery, have sex with the perfect partner on the hood of the car, then drive off with the old friend for a few beers.

I just love happy endings!

Reflection!

Today bring us to the 8th anniversary of 911! I know where I was standing at my bank the minute it hit the wires. Our district manager came running out of her office and had me pull our training tv out in the middle of the bank lobby for all to see, pure horror.

I use today to remember not only the people who lost their family and friends but also the police, fire, medical, military that saved so many. I think its important to remember them all! I also think that our reflections should not just focus on 911 but should encompass other tragedies including the war and the natural disasters that are happening every day.


I wish safety, comfort, and happiness to all my family and friends that I have met in my life and their families on this day and every day! I appreciate the friendships and the time I get with each and every one of you and feel that it is important that you understand that.

Find Humor In My Life!

I have to find a way to laugh at all of this to keep sane...so hang in there as I tell you about the "black cloud" that has been chasing my butt all over for the last 30 days.

It started simple. My wife lost her cell phone. Normally this means one of the little ones gave it to a baby doll and we find it after make a few phone calls (as we search around the house.) Hmmmm...that did not work, so inch by inch we rummaged thru the house. Nothing. Called the cell company & here is their response. "Too bad you only got the damage insurance not the loss insurance on the phone....too bad you also are still in your 2 year contract or we could just replace it with an term extension"...jerks. So we went to the store and I added a new phone line so she was considered new (so we got the phone discount.) Ha ha ha..got ya! That was not too painful. COST 60.00!

A few days later our washing machine started having a "water issue". See it did not want to pump the water out after it washed the clothes. Funny huh...ok well the repairman told me it would be over 100 bucks just to look at it...when he did he informed me that it would be close to 350.00 cause the pump had to be replaced. Well I can buy a new one for about that so off to Sears to shop. I love shopping. I skipped all the way to the appliance section, hugging everybody on the way. COST 500.00 (warranty included.)

Then I got our cell phone bill and my step daughter had run up a 750.00 bill (normally 50.00.) This consisted of phone calls "from home" at all hours of the day and night...including 3, 4, and 5 hour calls (this one was after midnight). I see you are already rolling on the floor with laughter. I know that was my initial reaction. Luckily she was at her dad's for the evening so I had time to enjoy the moment by myself. When I got done bashing my head into the wall I started to plan our "conversation". Here's are the questions I had for her upon her return.....(all asked with a loving/soft voice)

What (in the $#^&*!&%) could you be talking to anybody for 5 hrs at midnight about?
Why would you not use the house phone (which is free)?
Do you want to see what a car driving back n forth over a cell phone looks like?
Do you know what a job application looks like?
How would you like to communicate with your friends by postal carrier?

Reasonable questions right. I will save you her responses...cause it will take years off your life. I will say that her slamming her room door let me test out my tools as I removed it from the hinges. Anyhow....I calmly dealt with that one, really I did, you would all be proud. COST 750.00 (grounded daughter included.)

My next joyride was with Time Warner Cable because we have been having a monster of a time keeping connected to the Internet. So I figured they could come out and easily fix the issue. After multiple conversation, they had me so full of joy that I called AT&T to come out & replace our 30 year relationship. Its interesting how when the big cable companies get you as a customer they are no longer interested in service....MAN I LOVE THOSE GUYS.

So the night before they are set to come out and rewire everything...my TV decides it is done...working. So I have to rush off to the store to buy a new one (needless to say the timing was a bit off on this)off to Sears again. I got the TV, threw my back out moving the old one, and spent 2 days straight working with AT&T to get re-wired. AT&T finally just gave up and said we were too far away from the box to get a better connection than Warner was giving us now. I applauded them for their honesty, offered to help solve the problem, attached a chain to the box & to my truck, and I moved the box for them....jk. So I had to call and get back in the ring with Warner. The next technician I talked with there said "everybody knows the modem you have has a glitch in it" and they sent somebody out to replace it. Hey only 3 weeks and 28 phone calls. COST day off work, another 500.00 (TV), and 20.00 (for new bottle of Tylenol.)

As I was in the basement preparing for Time Warner to come back out I noticed water leaking from the ceiling. Yea really....ha.....cause water is suppose to come from the ceiling of your basement (right in the middle of the room). Ha ha ha ha...get the straight jackets boys.

As I am dealing with this my wife calls to tell me that she just busted off part of her front tooth and the insurance co will not cover the repair because her normal "approved" dentist is gone for a week. Emergency dental repair COST 400 bucks.

Back to the water showering down in my basement. We found the problem. The new washing machine pushes the water out just fine...all over the floor and is leaking down thru the floor. Can you say AWESOME. I know that was the word I used. So now as the repair engineer from Sears tells me (on a Sat.) that they can't take a look at it till Thursday, I am pretty sure I said "Awesome you" get somebody out here now......"no deal....but we can bring you a new one". Fine! So Sunday the drop off the new washer and do you want to bet that that one works? Not a chance...this one does not pump the water out....are you Awesome kidding me. Pretty sure at this point my eyes rolled to the back of my skull and I started to chant. Sears decided it was in their best interest to deliver a 3rd washer "free of charge"....damn skippy!

Well I don't know if you agree, but having all of this happen during the same time as back to school shopping (pockets pulled out) and sign up fees for all 3 daughters dance classes.....*picture me skipping around the house just throwing money over my head....with smurf music playing la la la la la la* was smart planning! COST around 1000.00

Over the last few days, my wife comes home, feeds the kids, wipes the drool off my chin as I stare at the wall....rocking back n forth in my chair, and just goes to bed lol. COST of nervous twitch & twisted smile on my face PRICELESS

I will say we are very lucky to have all we do....but man if I see another dark cloud I may have to lay down in traffic.